Habitat
Nest in coniferous or deciduous forests. Forage in open habitats, such as bogs and meadows, with low ground cover interspersed with perches (Cramp 1985, Johnsgard 1988). Inhabits extensive taiga interspersed with bogs, muskegs, and other open spaces in Canada (Nero 1980, Godfrey 1986, Voous 1988). In Alaska these owls prefer goshawk nests but also use raven nests or broken-off rotten tree tops (ADF&G 2007).
References
ADF&G. 2007. 2007-2008 Alaska hunting regulations: fur animals, small game, unclassified game and deleterious exotic wildlife.
Cramp, S. (ed.). 1985. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. 4. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, U.K.
Godfrey, W. E. 1986. The Birds of Canada. Revised edition. National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa, Canada. 595 pp.

Johnsgard, P. A. 1988. North American owls: biology and natural history. Smithsonian, Washington, D.C. 295 pp.
Nero, R. W. 1980. The great gray owl: phantom of the northern forest. Smithsonian Institution Press, Blue Ridge Summit, PA. 168 pp.
Voous, K. H. 1988. Owls of the northern hemisphere. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
